The Man With 1000 Kids donor Jonathan Jacob Meijer plans to sue Netflix

With a title as sensational as The Man with 1000 Kids, it's no surprise that the latest Netflix docuseries about prolific sperm donor Jonathan Jacob Meijer is skyrocketing up the streamer's charts just a day after its release. However, while many are captivated by the story, Meijer himself is far from pleased with his portrayal.

Several women featured in the docuseries allege that Meijer misled them about the number of children he’s helped conceive. But speaking to the media, the 42-year-old Dutch YouTuber expresses his disappointment, claiming the show misrepresented his goals as a donor.

“They deliberately called [the documentary] The Man With 1000 Kids, when it should be ‘the sperm donor who helped families conceive with 550 children,'” Meijer told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. “From the start, they are deliberately deceiving and misleading.”

In a 2021 New York Times report, Meijer provided an even lower figure, stating, “I have approximately 250 children. Assumptions of 1,000 are ridiculous. I am disappointed by the obsession with the numbers. I became a donor out of love to help parents realize their dream. I cannot understand how anyone can focus solely on numbers and see my donor children as statistics.”

However, Meijer revealed to the Independent that he ceased sperm donations in 2019, raising questions about the source of the additional 300 children. In that interview, he estimates the number of children he's fathered to be closer to 600. This ambiguity perhaps explains the “focus on numbers” that Meijer finds so troubling.

Meijer, whose attempts to continue sperm donations have been stymied by several European countries, admits to the Independent that he became “hooked” on providing sperm to aspiring families. “Sometimes I would think, ‘It’s a lot [of children], maybe you should stop,’ but then I’d get a new message saying, ‘Wow, you are really the donor we’ve been looking for.’”

“I found it hard to say no. You’re the guy that comes along with the winning lottery ticket. It’s something magical,” he added.

According to Meijer, the series cherry-picks dissatisfied recipients. “I think Netflix did a great job selecting five families [who are unhappy] out of the 225 families I’ve helped. The others would definitely tell you a different story,” he told the BBC.

Interestingly, Meijer admits to the Independent that he hasn't watched the show. When informed about some of the claims, including allegations that he competed with fellow donors and mixed sperm samples to see whose might “win,” he appeared shocked. “Is that in the documentary?” he asked.

“No, that’s total slander. It’s insane. Why would I do that? Why would anyone? If that’s in the documentary, be prepared—I will definitely sue the entire Netflix team.”

While Netflix has yet to address Meijer’s claims, The Man With 1000 Kids executive producer Natalie Hill stands by the show. “I’ve spent the last four years speaking to families affected by Jonathan’s lies. I’ve personally spoken to 45 or 50 families,” she told the BBC.

“Fifty families made impact statements to the court about his lies and pleaded with the judge to stop him. This continued platform for Jonathan to talk about it being a handful of women is completely untrue.”

In April last year, Meijer was barred from donating sperm to fertility clinics by the Hague District Court in the Netherlands after it emerged he'd fathered more than 500 children, The Independent reported. He's set to be fined 100,000 euros for every violation if he donates again.

Additionally, an anonymous sperm donor alleged in the series that Meijer and another man, identified only as Leon, ran a website named “Longing for a Child” to try to father as many children as possible. The anonymous donor claimed Meijer and Leon mixed their sperm samples together to play “sperm roulette” to see whom the child would resemble.

In an email to Business Insider, Meijer denied running the site. “I have never run a website; there’s no evidence for that. I posted my advertisement on the website in the early years of my donating, 2008-2014,” he wrote. “What Leon did is unclear to me. I met him 4-5 times in my life; he passed away two years ago.”

Referring to Netflix, Meijer added, “I will take legal action for slander. This is insane! I will take legal action, not only because of the mixing but for other claims as well.”

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